10 Hometown Getaways

Instead of battling LAX, stay put and get your R&R without leaving Los Angeles. Click through for these weekend sojourns that will remind you why you live here.

Splurge in Beverly Hills While Beverly Hills may be world famous and its name synonymous with luxury, at its core the city is just a small town. Think Mayberry meets Burberry

Breathe in Topanga Bounded on three sides by state parks and conservancy lands, Topanga got its name from the native American Tongva tribe. Later it housed a famous nudist colony. While the place is no more, the bohemian spirit lives on.

Graze in Santa Monica and Venice Delectable meals are not the only claims to fame of Santa Monica and Venice, but on this interlude, an Eastsider heads west for the calories. Lots of them.

Surrender in Sierra Madre The fantasy of a bucolic lifestyle—friendly people, a relaxed pace—becomes real on a trip to Sierra Madre, even if you’re staying behind bars.

Splash in Malibu El matador, La Piedra, and El Pescador—three secluded beaches three miles north of Zuma—rival the private shores of Hawaii and are often empty. That’s because Malibu feels so far away. But not this weekend.

Imbibe in Malibu Malibu has become a haven for vintners, all of whom will gladly give you a taste.

Regress in the South Bay Your offspring need a break too, and it’ll do wonders for them to see you loosen up. As kid-friendly jaunts go, the South Bay meets all your childish needs.

Chill on the Sunset Strip Nowhere else but on the Sunset Strip can you bask in the glam afterglow of an era when rock stars were gods who rained TVs from their hotel balconies.

Stroll in Los Feliz You can get to this bustling corner of northeast L.A. below Griffith park without ever putting your key in the ignition. Los Feliz is best when experienced on foot.

Cultivate in Pasadena and San Marino From the Norton Simon to the Huntington, few pockets of metropolitan Los Angeles can claim more world-class museums or horticultural masterpieces than Pasadena. The shopping in nearby San Marino is polished, too.

Save in downtown L.A. It’s no secret that gentrification has sparked an economic boom in downtown L.A.’s historic core. But staying overnight doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank.